An Examination and a Critique of Sabzawari's Account of al-Amr Bayn al-Amrayn

A significant debate within the intellectual community of early Muslims was the relationship between human volitional acts and the system of divine acts, with each school of thought taking a different position concerning it. In general, there are four theories about the relationship: absolute “jabr” or predetermination, absolute “tafwīḍ” or freedom (delegation of affairs to human beings), the theory of “kasb” (acquisition), and the theory of “al-amrbayn al-amrayn” (something between the two things). The first three theories are propounded by Sunni scholars, and the last theory is propounded by the followers of the Prophet’s (s) household or Ahl al-Bayt. The problem with the first three theories is that they contradict certain religious doctrines. The theory of “al-amrbayn al-amrayn” rejects both absolute predetermination and absolute freedom, but its positive proposal has been differently accounted for by Imami scholars. The Shiite philosopher, Sabzawari, has tried to provide a rational or philosophical account of the theory in terms of the ontological principle of the “personal unity of the reality of existence”. His account is examined in this paper.